Substituted ethylene oxide compounds and process for preparing the same



atented Jan. 15, 1946 UNITED srATas PATENT SUBSTITUTED ETHYLENE POUNDS AND PROCESS FOR THE SAME Frank B. 'lendick,

me COM- rnsranme can. Points rant, Mich assignor to Parke, Davis & Company, Detroit,

Mich

' now United States Patent No. 2,349,770, issued May 23. 1944.

The starting materials of the present invention are di-hydroxyaryl di-alkyl substituted ethylene glycols. Such compounds are of the pinacol type. A surprising feature of the invention is that treatment of the phenolic-substituted glycols with acid does not cause the well-knova1n pinacol rearrangement. Instead of forming a pinacoline by rearrangement of the pinacoi and elimination of water, the glycols used in the present invention are converted by acids into oxides. The transformations occur in a manner which can be represented diagrammatically as follows:

i Treat with 7 acid aryl-substituted unsaturated hydrocara corporation or Michigan No Drawing. Original application .im' 27, 1939,

Serial No. 281,461. Divided tion February 7, 19%, Serial No. 521,436

and this pplica--- by the acid treatment and are present in the oxide. The ester groups of the oxide are difllcult to hydrolyze oil and replace by phenolic hydroxyl. However, such replacement will occur if the oxide esters are treated in a strongly alkaline medium, such as an alcoholic solution of an alkali metal alcoholate. p

The invention can be illustrated by the following examples:

Example 1.Preparation of diethyl-di-phydroxyphenyl ethylene glycol Twenty-five grams of Twenty-five grams of clean aluminum turnings are treated with mercuric chloride to amalgamate the same and are then added to the ketone solution. The mixture is stirred for six to eight hours while keeping the mixture warm on a steam bath. At the end of this time, the suspension is decanted from undissolved metal and the latter washed with hot methanol. The washings are added to the decanted suspension and most of the alcohol distilled off. The residue from this dis tlllatlon is mainly a,fl-diethyl-u,fl-di-p-hydroir.v phenyl ethylene glycol. The crystalline glycol can be obtained, in highly purified form if desired, by taking it up in organic solvents, concentrating the solution and cooling. It may be characterized by its dibenz'oate which melts at about 220 C.

The transformations occurring in this example may be indicated as follows:

R. in the above formulas represents a saturated I or unsaturated lower aliphatic cal. while R represents a member of the group hydrogen and aromatic and aliphatic carboxylic acid acyl groups. Ar stands for an aryl residue, such as a benzene, toluene, naphthalene, anthracene, phenanthrene, or like residue in which the group R'O- is attached to a carbon atom in the same G-carbon ring of Ar as that by which Ar is attached to the ethylenic carbon atom. The groups R, R'O- and Ar can, in each case,- he the same or difierent groups.

The step of treating the phenolic substituted lycol with acid to convert itv into asubstituted ethylene oxide type of compound, can hecarried out by the use of a mineral acid, such as hydro chlorlc, hydrobromic, sulfuric, phosphoric or similar acid, either in aqueous or in anhydrous sclu ticn. For instance, one can use an aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid, or hydrogen chloride in glacial acetic acid can be used.

When the phenolic groups of the original substituted glycol compound are replaced by carbcxyllc acid ester groups, they remain unchanged hydrocarbon radi- I CH CaH 01H; CgHs 1 J: on no ([1.

=0 0= Redllliction aluml num Amalgam and methanol H H H H Para-hydroxy-proa, B DiGthYl-a, B-di-p-hydroxypiophenone phenyl ethylene glycol i Benzoylation 00 can co can Dibenzoatc, M. P. 220 C.

para-hydroxy-propio then with water.

2 sesame In this example. instead of reducing p-hydroxy chilled and then filtered to give crystals of the propiophenone, any other hydroxyaryl alkyl dibenzoate of mp-diethyl-ap-di-p-hydroxyphenyl ketone can be used. For example, one can use orthoand meta-hydroxy propiophenone, hydroxy butyrophenone, hydroxy caprylophenone, ortho-methyl p-hydroxy propiophenone, etc. Furthermore, by reducing a mixture of hydroxy aryl alkyi ketones it is possible to obtain unsymmetrical glycols in which the aryl residues are different, or in which the alkyl substituents differ from one another. One can also obtain unsymmetrical glycols in which the aryl residues and also the alkyl substitutents difler from one another. However, reduction of a single ketone, rather than a mixture ketones, gives only a single symmetrical glycol. This is the simplest variation of the process and is preierred. because separation oi the product is easier.

Example 2.Preporotion of diethul-di-phydrozyphenvl ethylene oxide The efi-diethyl-a,fl-di-p-hydrcxyphenyl ethylene glycole product of Example 1 is acidified with hydrochloric acid, water added. and the mixture boiled until no more alcohol distils oil. The

residue is extracted with ether and the ether extract washed with dilute hydrochloric acid and The ether is evaporated of! to give a,p-diethyl-a,,6-di-p-hydroxyphenyl ethylene oxide. It may be obtained either as an oil or, by treatment with solvents and cooling, as crystals. The transformation of this example may be illustrated as follows:

can on no can 0 Acid treatment E E Dieth l g-di-p-hydm a phonyl ethylene glycol war -a m a B y ll.

ethy l i rids) y (OuHaOz) Example 3.Preparation ol dibenzoote of diethyldi-p-hydroxyphenyl etnytene oxide The oily a,p-diethyl-a,p-di-p-hydroxyphenyl ethylene oxide is taken up in one liter of 255% sodium hydroxide solution and shaken with cc. of benzoyl chloride which is added in 5 cc. portions. A crude benzoate forms and is filtered 0!! and the filtrate shaken with 10 cc. more or bensoyl chloride to obtain an additional small quantity of insoluble benzoate. The benzoate iswashed with water, triturated with a small amoimt of ethyl ether, and finally filtered and washed with ether. Any of the benzoate in the ether washings can be recovered by washing out with dilute alkali solution and water and evaporating oi! the ether. The benzoate can be dissolved in chloroform.

filtered, and the filtrate evaporated to a thick solution. Hot alcohol is added to the solution and boiling continued until a-largc amount 0! cmtalline bensoste separateepu solution is -materials and conditions given therein. Other equivalent conditions and compounds may be used, as have already been mentioned above.

What I claim as my invention is: 1. Process tor the preparation of a compound having the formula o It-0-Ar-O- lJ-Ar-0R' n which comprises treating with strong a compound having the formula on on a'--o-.ls-t:- -,u-o-a' mineral acid where R is a lower aliphatic hydrocarbon radical,

Ar is an aryl residue in which the group R'-O- is attached to a carbon atom in the same ii-carbon ring of Ar as that by which Ar is attached to the ethylenic carbon atom.

2. The process for the preparation 0! an mB-dlalkyl-a,s-dihydroxyphenyl ethylene oxide which comprises treating an-a,p-dialkyl-a,p-dihydroxyphenyl ethylene glycol with strong mineral acid.

3. Process for the preparation of a,p-diethylan-di-p-hydroxyphenyl ethylene oxide which comprises treating s,,6-diethyl-a,5-di-p-hydroxyphenyl ethylene glycol with strong mineral acid.

4. Process for the preparation of a carboxylic acid ester of a ap-dialkyl-ap-dihydroxy aryl ethylene oxide which comprises treating an n.5- dislwl-mp-dihydroxy aryl ethylene glycol with a strong mineral acid thereby forming an afi-dialwl-ep-dihydroxy aryl ethylene oxideand treating said omde with a carboxylic acid acylating agent.

5. Process for the preparation of a carboxylic acid ester of dlethyl-di-p -hydroxyphenol ethylene oxide which comprises treating diethyl-di-phydroenyl ethylene glycol with a strong mineral acid thereby forming diethyl-di-p-hydroxyphenyl ethylene oxide and treating said oxide with a carboxylic acid acylating agent.

6. Process for the preparation or the dibenzoate oi. diethyl-di-p-mdroxyphenyl ethylene oxide which comprises treating di-ethyl-di-p-hydroxyphenyl ethylene glycol with a strong mineral acid thereby forming diethyl-di-p-hydroxyphenyl ethylene oxide and treating said oxide with benzoyl chloride.

7. A compound having the formula where R is a lower aliphatic hydrocarbon radical.

9. An or anic carboxylic acid di-ester of an ap-diaIkyI -Q p-dihydroxy aryl ethylene oxide. sisting of hydrogen and organic carboxylic acid 10. A compound having the formula acyl groups.

11. ,p-diethyba,p-di-para.-hydroxyphenyl eth- C2H| cam hydroxyphenyl ethylene oxide. where R. represents a member of the class con- FRANK H. TENDICK. 

